President Kurmanbek Bakiyev encouraged authors of Kyrgyzstan’s national symbols

President Kurmanbek Bakiyev encouraged authors of Kyrgyzstan’s national symbols, reports the press service of the secretariat of the president of Kyrgyzstan.

President Kurmanbek Bakiyev had signed a resolution on encouraging authors of national symbols of Kyrgyzstan - Nasyr Davlesov, Zhalil Sadykov, Aseyin Abdraev and Shabdanbek Kuluev at the end of March 2010. Each of them will get 40 thousand soms according to the resolution.

Head of the president's office Kanybek Zhoroev on behalf of the president Kurmanbek Bakiyev handed over some amount of money, allocated from the president's reserve fund. Widows of Nasyr Davlesov and Zhalil.Sydykov received the presents instead of their husbands.

A round-table talks with participation Kyrgyz opposition and human rights defenders is taking place in Bishkek

A round-table talks titled “Consequences of Kurultai: agreement or discord” with participation Kyrgyz opposition and human rights defenders is taking place in Bishkek on April 2. These discussions have been organized by the opposition of Kyrgyzstan.

70 participants are taking part in the meeting. It is expected that 3 reports of opposition will be presented.  

Speaker of Kyrgyz parliament discussed issues of parliamentarian development with Ambassador of EU in Kyrgyzstan

Speaker of Kyrgyz parliament Zainidin Kurmanov has met with Ambassador of EU in Kyrgyzstan Chantal Ebberekt. Speaker congratulated the ambassador with the opening of the EU representation in Kyrgyzstan.

During the conversation, the speaker spoke about the development of parliamentarism in the country and praised the inter-parliamentary cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the European Union. He expressed hope that with the assistance of co-operation with the EU will acquire a new dynamics of development in the relations of Kyrgyzstan and the EU.

Z. Kurmanov added that with the adoption of the EU Strategy for Central Asia, relations between the EU and Kyrgyzstan become sustainable. According to the Speaker, 7 meetings of the Committee for Parliamentary Cooperation took place, and the next meeting, expected to be held in Bishkek.

In turn, Chantal Ebberekt noted the successful EU project aimed at development of parliamentarism in Kyrgyzstan. She added that the EU plans to expand cooperation with Kyrgyzstan.

Presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Slovakia discussed issues of bilateral cooperation

President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev has met the president of Slovakia Ivan Gashparovich on April 1, 2010 in Bishkek.
Issues of bilateral cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Slovakia have been discussed.
According to the results of the meeting of the presidents, joint declaration has been signed. Also Agreement on mutual cancellation of visa requirements for the owners of diplomatic passports has been signed.

At the end of the meeting, presidents have answered the questions of the journalists.

Organizational meeting of Kyrgyzstanis held in Malaysia

Organizational meeting of Kyrgyzstanis held in Malaysia. This meeting has been held by the initiative and support of Kyrgyzstan’s Embassy in Malaysia.

According to the information of Embassy, there are 170 Kyrgyzstanis in Malaysia.

A 24 year-old Sagyndyk Baltabayev has been appointed as the president of the Kyrgyz association of fellow-countrymen. Also the secretariat from 7 people has been established.

According to the ombudsman of Kyrgyzstan Tursunbai Bakir uulu, the main aim of the creation of such association is the involvement of Kyrgyzstanis.

Kyrgyz activist meets with Kazakhs about journalist's death

The leader of Kyrgyzstan's opposition Fatherland (Ata-Meken) party and a former speaker of parliament, Omurbek Tekebaev, has met with investigators in neighboring Kazakhstan in connection with the December killing of a prominent Kyrgyz journalist.

Tekebaev told RFE-RL that he went to the Kazakh town of Qorday on March 27-28 to discuss the case of Gennady Pavlyuk, who was thrown from a building in Almaty on December 16 with his arms and legs bound. He died in a hospital six days later.

Pavlyuk had met with Tekebaev in Bishkek to discuss possible cooperation with Tekebaev's opposition party before he left for Almaty.

Tekebaev told that the Qorday investigators showed him pictures of five suspects they believed might have been involved in Pavlyuk's murder.

He said he recognized one of them, whom he identified as an employee of Kyrgyzstan's State Service of National Security (GSNB).

GSNB spokesman Rysbek Bykyn-uulu told that Kazakh authorities have not contacted the GSNB regarding the investigation into Pavlyuk's death.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan responded with a protest note to Russian mass media

The State Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan handed over the note to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bishkek in connection with the frequent cases of criticism of Kyrgyzstan leadership by the Russian mass media.

According to AFP, the note, about "the attempts of the state and private state mass media of the Russian Federation to discredit the Kyrgyz authorities, has been sent to the Embassy of the Russian Federation.

According to Azattyk radio, discontent of Kyrgyzstan is caused by the accusations of the President of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiev, and his family. "The President of Kyrgyzstan at the kurultay of 'consent' on March 23, said that a number of Russian mass media distort the state of affairs in the country. He also noted that someone in the Russian circles wishes to ruin relations between Kyrgyzstan and Russia."

"There was a whole series of articles and television programs, within the last two weeks in the Russian mass media, which accused Kyrgyzstan leadership of corruption, establishment of family governing system, links with the international mafia and repressions. Often mass media accused the President Bakiev of the ties with financially unscrpulous citizens, infringement of the civil rights and freedom, and active participation of his relatives in the life of the country," Azattyk informed.

Foreign ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Luxemburg discussed issues of cooperation

Bishkek, March 31. (Zpresskg.com) State minister of foreign affairs of Kyrgyzstan Kadyrbek Sarbayev has met with the Deputy Prime Minister and minister of foreign affairs of Luxemburg Jean Asselborn.

Issues of bilateral cooperation in the political and trade-economical fields have been discussed.

Fatal shooting reported on Kyrgyz-Uzbek border

One person has been killed and a second injured in a shooting incident in Kyrgyzstan's Jalalabad Oblast on the border with Uzbekistan.

The incident took place on March 28 when Kyrgyz border guards apparently refused to allow a woman with an Uzbek passport to enter Kyrgyzstan from Uzbekistan, accusing her of trying to cross the border illegally.

A group of people on the Kyrgyz side of the border protested the refusal. According to the Kyrgyz border guards, the group ignored warning shots by the border guards and tried to seize their machine guns. One person in the group was shot dead and a second was seriously injured.

The Jalalabad garrison prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the incident.

Many residents of southern Kyrgyzstan are ethnic Uzbeks -- with Kyrgyz passports -- and have relatives living on the other side of the border.

Uzbek authorities imposed restrictions last month on how frequently Kyrgyz citizens may enter Uzbekistan.

Rights group urges Tajikistan not to deport Kyrgyz activist

The international rights group Human Rights Watch is urging Tajik authorities not to deport a detained Kyrgyz human rights activist to Kyrgyzstan.
Nematullo Botakoziev sought political asylum in Tajikistan after Kyrgyz authorities accused him of organizing mass protests in 2008 and issued a warrant for his arrest.

For the last few weeks he has been held in custody in Dushanbe.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch called on Tajik authorities to grant Botakoziev access to his lawyer and investigate allegations that his detention was arbitrary.

Andrea Berg, Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, told RFE/RL's Tajik Service she was concerned about Botakoziev's health, as he had suffered heart attacks in the past.
"We're asking the Tajik authorities to grant his lawyers access and the UNHCR access to him, and we're urging them to release him because today marks one month since he's been detained and kept in isolation and the one-month [maximum] detention period expires today," Berg said.

Tajikistan's ombudsman, Zarif Alizoda, said the recent Norouz holiday had resulted in a delay in the investigation into Botakoziev's case.

Speaker of Kyrgyz parliament met with the parliamentarians of Turkey

Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh Zainidin Kurmanov met with deputies of Turkish  National Assembly, members of the Turkish Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Conference.

In the welcoming speech Z. Kurmanov noted the active cooperation of the two countries in politics, economy, culture and education, and noted the established the high level of Kyrgyz-Turkish relations in the political component. Speaker suggested that the bilateral relations between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan in the political sphere are intense and assessed as positive. "During the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey over 120 agreements had been signed”- he said.

At the meeting, the parliamentarians of two countries exchanged views on the development and deepening inter-parliamentary relations, the press service of the Kyrgyz parliament reported.

Kyrgyzstan’s president Kurmanbek Bakiyev met with the Secretary-General of CSTO Nikolai Borduzha

Kyrgyzstan’s president Kurmanbek Bakiyev met with the Secretary-General of CSTO Nikolai Borduzha on March 29 in Bishkek.

Mr. Borduzha has told about the preparation to the upcoming session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) which has been scheduled for June in the Russian Federation. Also he has told about the main aims and goals of the expected round-table talks in Bishkek.

Expected round-table talks titled “CSTO as the factor of stability and security in the Central Asian region” has been organized by the service of the state adviser on defense and security issues of Kyrgyzstan and autonomous non-commercial organization “CSTO Institute”.

All information based on the newswire of the Zpress.kg news agency